1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to quick release buckles for backpacks and the like.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Web straps on light weight backpacks, rucksacks and hiking packs typically use xe2x80x9cside-actionxe2x80x9d buckles to allow shoulder, compression and/or large pocket straps to be parted. This side-action buckle design has significant limitations when used in this capacity. The release tabs are recessed onto the sides of the buckle so they can be difficult to find and release when hurried or when wearing winter gloves. Both release tabs must be squeezed simultaneously toward each other to part the buckle. The hand force required to push the halves together and lock them cannot be increased/decreased without a proportional impact on the hand force required to unlock them. When separated, the exposed locking tabs of the male-half (tongue) of the buckle can be easily broken off and the female-half (body) can be crushed if stepped on. U.S. Pat. No. 6,154,936 overcame many of these problems.
The present invention is directed to a buckle for use with load bearing webbing, e.g. for backpacks, such as used in the military and is an improvement of the ""936 patent.
The present invention is an improvement to the buckles described in the ""963 patent, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into this disclosure, and embodies an inexpensive, two-piece buckle that can be conveniently opened even while hurried or wearing winter gloves. The buckle can be opened with the natural, intuitive upward pulling action. The forces required to lock and release the buckle are independently controlled. The buckle is durable even when the two interlocking halves are separated.
Broadly the invention, in one embodiment, comprises a two-piece lanyard release buckle including a keeper and a secure. The keeper has a floor which includes a front portion and a rear portion. A cover is spaced apart from the floor, the opposed surfaces of the floor and cover defining a slot therebetween. A keeper surface is formed on one of the opposed surfaces of either of the floor or the cover. The floor and cover are flexibly secured one to the other. A lanyard is secured to the cover.
The secure is configured to be received in the slot. The secure has a front portion and a rear portion. The secure is characterized by at least one locking stepped surface transversing the secure whereby as the secure is received in the keeper, the secure travels along a first axis, the stepped surface engages the keeper surface and locks the secure to the keeper. The keeper surface and the locking surface are mirror imaged sloped to prevent unexpected release when the buckle is under load.
When the buckle is unlocked the lanyard is pulled upwardly. The keeper surface travels along a second axis distinct from the first axis to release the keeper surface from the locking surface thereby unlocking the buckle.
In one embodiment of the invention, the secure is designed to keep the keeper slot free of debris; snow, ice and dirt. The front portion of the keeper has a leading edge, an upper surface and a lower surface. A recess is formed in the lower surface and extends inwardly from the leading edge. Crenellations are formed in the recess at the leading edge. The movement of the secure into and out of the slot of the keeper pulls the debris out of the slot.
In another embodiment of the invention, a strap locking system is formed either at the rear portion of the keeper and/or secure. At the rear portions of either or both the keeper and the secure are slots in which slots are formed saddles. Straps which secure the keeper and secure pass through and over (are looped around) the saddle. Usually one strap is stitched (fixed) in place and the other end is adjustable. To adjust the strap, the secure is angled, the pinch pressure is reduced, the strap can slip over the saddle until the desired length is reached and the secure is released and the pinch restored. With a lanyard buckle, pulling the lanyard typically rotates the buckle. This movement inherently tends to slip the strap. In this embodiment, teeth angled at 45xc2x0 are formed in the saddle. When the lanyard is pulled as the buckle turns, the teeth rotate and seat into the strap preventing any movement. After the teeth seat and the buckle returns to its normal position it is subjected to intermittent loads during normal use.
With prior art buckles, these intermittent loads cause the adjustable strap to slip or loosen and the strap must be continually adjusted. With the present invention, the teeth prevent this slippage.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, all just described embodiments are combined.